The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, May 10, 1923
FIRST IN GIRLS ORATORIAL: Stronghurst High School captured one first prize and one second prize in the literary events at the Military Tract school met at Knoxville while the schools athletic team won 9 4-5 points in the track and field events. Francis Worley was awarded first place in the Oratorical contest for girls and Harold Lukens was given second in the declamatory contest for boys.
A bitter fight for honors amongst the thirteen schools resulted with all winning points except Farmington. Stronghurst's 9 4-5 were accumulated by Wilcox, Regan and Stine. Wilcox won 2nd place in the 100 yard dash and running broad jump; Regan second place in the shot put and Stine tying for 2nd in the high jump. In the relay race the Stronghurst boys were close contenders with Abingdon for first place, the latter school winning by a very close margin. Two new records were established: one by Meyers of Biggsville, who hurled the javelin a distance of 169 feet and 10 inches and one by Page of Alexis, who cleared the bar in the pole vault at 10 ft. and 9 inches.
***OBITUARY***MRS. ADDA KIRBY: Adda Milligan, daughter of William and Amada Milligan, was born on the Milligan homestead farm one mile east of Stronghurst, Aug. 17, 1865 and passed away at her home in this village, May 3, 1923. While young in years she made a public profession of faith and united with the Walnut Grove U.P. Church later transferring to the Stronghurst U.P. Church.
In 1893 she married Charles W. Kirby and to this union three children were born-Hazel, Roy and Agnes, all of this place. Mrs. Kirby spent nine years of her younger life as a school teacher in this locality. One of the characteristics of her life was her devotion to her children. She was also a devoted student of the scriptures and marked her Bible with many beautiful passages.
Mrs. Kirby is survived by her husband the three children and also by one sister, Mrs. Mary Taylor of Long Beach, Calif. Funeral services were conducted at the Stronghurst U.P. Church with entombment in Hope Abbey.
BAND CONCERT: Weather permitting the Stronghurst band will give an open air concert Saturday evening beginning at 8 o'clock. If arrangements now under way can be competed, Saturday evening concerts will be a weekly feature of the village affairs during the coming summer.
OBITUARY MRS. ADA R. VAN DOREN: "After a lingering illness of several months, Mrs. Ada R. VanDoren entered into rest at the home on East Main Street of her son William B. VanDoren April 28, 1923, aged 77 years, 11 months and 7 days. Ada Whitaker, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. William Whitaker, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Mary 21, 1845. In the early sixties she came with her parents to Raritan, her father having been called to the pastorate of the local Baptist Church. Here she became acquainted with and was united in marriage to George W. VanDoren in 11864. To this union were born one son, William B. Mr. and Mrs. VanDoren lived in and near Raritan until 1903 when they removed to Stronghurst where he died June 12, 1918. The following year, being in an enfeebled condition, Mrs. Van Doren returned to Raritan to make her home with her son William and family who did all within their power to make her declining years comfortable and pleasant.
In girlhood the deceased espoused the cause of Christianity and united with the Baptist Church. After marriage she became affiliated with the Raritan Reformed Church. Besides her son she leaves six grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren to mourn her death. Funeral services were held in the Reformed Church with interment in the Raritan Cemetery."-Raritan Reporter
MARRIED IN YATES CITY: Miss Margaret Elizabeth Ray and Joseph Baxter, both of Yates City were quietly married May 5th at the Presbyterian manse. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Ray of Douglas and has been teaching school at Yates City the past year. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Z.T.Baxter of Lomax, Ill. Since the end of the war he has been engaged in the lumber business at Yates City where they will be at home to their many friends after May 9th. They left for a short honeymoon in Chicago.
TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO (1898): Twenty-seven phones were in use in the phone exchange in Stronghurst. The local elevator in charge of A.W.Aplin bought 15,000 bushels of corn on May 9th at 30 cents per bushel. News of Admiral Sampson's capture of the city of San Juan, the capital of Porto Rico (old spelling), was received on May 12th. G.W. Turner and wife, a daughter of Mrs. Booten of Olena, were both seriously injured on May 1st when a church, in which they were worshipping at Jericho Springs, Mo., their home town, was destroyed by a cyclone. Miss Mary Campbell of the Punjab Mission of the U.P. Church was home on furlough and making a tour of churches in this section lecturing on "Journeys to and from and Customs and Manners of India."
HIT A CAR: Wayne Junk and Jerry Marlatt had a bad spill from Wayne's motorcycle when they hit a car last Sunday night four miles north of Stronghurst. The boys had been to Galesburg that day and were returning home, Wayne driving and Jerry riding in the sidecar. They met a Ford car , it turning out and stirring up a lot of dust. Following was a Dodge which they hit, neither drivers being able to see on account of dust. Both boys were rendered unconscious. When they came to, they were taken back to Stronghurst where Dr. Marshall was called and found Jerry had two ribs broken and a long gash cut in the side of her face requiring two stitches. Wayne escaped with a few bruises and being very sore.
HOOCH JOINT RAIDED: Last Sunday afternoon Sheriff Davenport, Sam Duncan and Chas. Collins raided the Hamilton restaurant in Media and found half a gallon of hooch. The wife of the proprietor, being the only person in the place, had to appear at Gladstone Monday and give bond for her appearance at the June term of County Court at Oquawka.
Frank Hamilton, the proprietor of the restaurant is wanted by officials. This place has been under suspicion for some time and there are said to be others which are not entirely free. The liquor which was found in the Hamilton place was carefully sealed by the sheriff and will be used as evidence when the case comes to trial. OBITUARY SAUMUEL T. VAUGHN: Samuel T. Vaughn, a well known Henderson County man, died May 4th at his home in Lomax. He was born at Carman, Ill. on Nov.8, 1866 and was 56 years, 5 months, and 26 days old at the time of his death. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. A.Vaughn, pioneer settlers of this county who located near Carman. The subject of this sketch resided at Carman until about 13 years ago when he moved to Lomax. He is survived by his wife, who was formerly Miss Flora Graff, and by one son Ferdinand; also by two brothers, W.S.Vaughn of Carman and H.N. Vaughn of this vicinity.
GET YOUR LICENSE PLATE: J.L. Forslund of Moline, Ill., inspector from Secretary of State Louis L. Emmerson's office, was here on a round up of automobile owners who have neglected to secure their 1923 license plates. Mr. Forslund was accompanied y Sheriff Davenport, who is cooperating with the state department in the matter of the enforcement of the law on automobiles.
The inspector says that there is no excuse for auto owners failing to secure their license plates until March or April, or later, since Automobile Department is prepared to handle all applications as fast as they are received and points as evidence of this to the fact that more then 500,000 licenses were issued during the first two months of the year. It was also pointed out that since every dollar of money collected in auto license fees goes directly into the hard road fund of the state, the automobilist ought to be glad to cooperate by paying his license promptly.
LOSE INFANT SON: Sympathy of the community goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Walker over the death of their young son, Harold James, one of the twin boys born April 20, 1923. The little one passed away on Wednesday and the remains were laid away in the village cemetery after short services at the home.
FAST TRAIN WHIZZES THROUGH TOWN: A fast special Santa Fe train of four cars carrying David. Jones, millionaire president of the Mineral Point Zinc. Co. from Los Angeles to Chicago for medical treatment, passed through here Monday evening. It is stated that the trip was made in 48 hours and 27 minutes and that a speed of 100 miles an hour was reached at some points. The trip is reported to have cost the zinc magnate $11,000. ($150,920 in today's values)
FIGHT THE EVIL HOOCH: A well known Henderson County businessman shared his views upon the subject of the enforcement of our liquor laws in Henderson County: "Practically every father and mother of children is anxious to see "hooch joints and gambling dens" raided so long as the other fellow does it; they are always ready to say "Hurrah!" when a successful raid is made.
Others will sometimes ask, "Why don't they go after such and such a violator of the law? Everybody knows he is dispensing "hooch" or conducting a gambling establishment." These people seem to take it for granted that the officials are the only ones responsible for the continuance of the evils spoken of and scarcely ever raise a finger in the support of these officials when they perform their sworn duty.
Public sentiment manifested in action can do more to help rid Henderson County of her "hooch joints" than the action of a few officials working alone. Certainly, a great deal of credit is due to our officials for the excellent work they have already accomplished in cleaning up the county, but much more can be done with a little well directed cooperation on the part of the law-abiding and law respecting element in the community.
There is much in the above for everyone to ponder over and especially for the one who excuses himself from actively engaging in any effort looking toward the cleaning up of existing evil conditions with the plea, "It will hurt my business." It is a fact to be lamented that there are so many people who are decent, law abiding, law respecting and God fearing themselves who yet allow the business in which they are engaged to make cowards of them; and yet we are much inclined to doubt if any business ever received a permanent set back or injury as the result of the owner or manger of that business coming out four square on a moral issue. It is rather to be doubted if a business of any kind will stand the test of time where moral courage is lacking on the part of those who conduct business.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Earl Brokaw, Ralph Painter, C.C. Painter, I.H. Brokaw and F.M. Bane were at LaHarpe attending a stock breeders meeting at the LaHarpe Country Club. Mr. and Mrs. Orval Jordan are the parents of a young daughter born May 5th. H.A.Corey bagged a litter of five wolf pups on the Bruen farm along Honey Creek, killing three with a shot gun and taking two alive. The mother wolf, which was with the pups, succeeded in making her escape but will probably be captured later. The two live pups are on exhibition at the Simpson-Widney garage in the village. A little daughter, who has been named Helen Rubena, came to gladden the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mudd on May 8th. Mr. Ed Stine has accepted a position as solicitor for the Modern Woodmen Accident Insurance Co. Abe Magee and Joe Woodward have just completed the job of grading for about 1,000 feet of side track which the Santa Fe Co. is adding to the west end of their present side track here. Rumor has it that Mr. Glenn Schenck of the country southeast of Stronghurst was married last Saturday to a lady from Pontoosuc, Ill. Elihu Stewart, an old time resident of the country south of Stronghurst, passed away at his home in LaHarpe last Thursday morning at the age of 72 years.
HIS FOOT SLIPPED: A series of crashes in quick succession startled a lot of people living in the vicinity of the H.D.Lovitt home (Eisenmayer home today) out of their afternoon naps last Sunday; and they, with others who chanced to be out upon the streets, were soon hurrying toward the scene of disturbance. They found Mr. and Mrs. Lovitt seated in their brand new Hudson Sedan, which had been brought to a stop along side of the W.C.Regan home(Baxter home today) and behind which there stretched a trail of devastation which spoke more eloquently than words of what had happened. It seems that Mr. and Mrs. Lovitt had been out enjoying a spin in the new car and on their return had turned into the driveway leading to the garage at a rather high rate of speed. As the car neared the garage "Haney" prepared for a quick stop within the building by the usual method of pressure applied to brake and clutch levers; but the foot which he supposed rested upon the brake lever chanced to be upon the gas feed and by some mischance the other foot slipped off the clutch lever. The result was about the same as would occur is one should tray to stop a spirited young colt by striking him a heavy blow with a whip.
It shot into the garage at a 25 mile an hour rate, crashed through a heavy rolling door in the rear, crossed the alley, went through a strong woven fence at the rear of the Regan yard, wrecked a grape vine trellis, tore down a wire clothes line and the came to a stop in the Regan yard after Haney had switch off the "juice." Neither of the occupants of the car suffered an injury and what is much stranger the car showed scarcely a mark of what it had passed through. This is principally due to the fact that it was equipped with a heavy bumper fender, which had successfully met each shock and protected the car. Mr. Lovitt thinks that the preservation of the top from injury when the car went through the big rolling door was due the fact the door swung up so far on the hinged rollers from the impact that it did not descend in time to catch the swiftly moving car. The force of the blow which this door received was sufficient to break off every board on a line with the height of the car fender.
An unfortunate sequel to the accident occurred a little later, when Mr. and Mrs. Lovitt went to see what damage had been done on the Regan lot and Mrs. Lovitt caught here foot in the wrecked wire fence and fell in such a way as to injure her ankle so severely that she had to be assisted home.
DEAD STEERS: An article going the rounds of the press lately to the effect that L.H. Robertson, the big cattle feeder of Abingdon who lost a lot of steers from lead poisoning after they had eaten some corn shipped from Swan Creek, Ill., and that he would be greatly crippled financially. The following article from the Drovers Journal tells the story: "A settlement has been made with L. H. Robertson, the big cattle feeder near Abingdon, who lost nearly 80 steers from white lead poisoning several weeks ago. The animals became sick after eating corn shipped from a nearby station. Mr. Robertson told the Drovers Journal correspondent that the amount of the settlement was satisfactory, but he did not care to state actual figures.
Local estimate are that the sum must have been somewhere around the market value of the steers that died and the loss which will have to be taken on steers which were left in a stunted condition The settlement in that case would be somewhere between $8,000-$10,000. ($109,760-$137,200 in today's values) The settlement, Mr. Robertson indicated, was made jointly by the Bader Elevator Co. of Swan Creek where the corn was loaded into a box car and by the Burlington Railroad whose road the car of corn was shipped.
By a strange turn of fate Mr. Robertson's partner in the deal, the late Fred W. Davis, was killed in an accident two weeks ago"...
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: May 18th has been set for the Junior-Senior play, "The Dust of the Earth," a rural drama in four acts. Commencement date is May 31st and baccalaureate services will be held in the Methodist church on May 27th. Master Estin Palmer, who since the death of his mother has made his home with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Sullivan, has gone to live with his father, Homer Palmer near Stronghurst. The M. E. Church is preparing a Mother's Day program next Sunday. Prof. Hoffman expects to take the boys of the athletic team to a track meet in Macomb.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Mrs. Robt. Glenn was confined to her bed with illness. Measles are spread quite thickly in town and through the country with almost every home having a case. Will Glenn, who has recently been confined to his bed with the flu and pleurisy, is able to be about again. Fifty-nine member of the Community Club met at the home of Mrs. Zimmerman. Mrs. Clarence Patterson, district chairman of music from Monmouth gave a talk on Negro melodies and spirituals. A few high schools students were in Galesburg training for the track meet day and evening. The ladies aid of the U.P. Church will serve the banquet next week to the junior class and the graduating class.